The Bible and Polygamy

Recently, popular Actor and movie producer- Yul Edochie, announced on social media that he has a son with a second wife, Judy Austin. Judy Austin is also an actor and movie producer, who had worked with Yul on the set of her movie Native Girl. This revelation by the presidential aspirant and son of the legendary Pete Edochie, sparked off mixed reactions across social media.

While some of the commentators have blatantly remonstrated the actor for his actions, others seem to see no problem with Yul’s decision to get a second wife since he is an ‘African Man’. From her reported reactions, his first wife, May Edochie is definitely displeased with the turn of events. May and Yul have been married for over 16 years and have four children together. Now that I have given you enough tea, let us get into the purpose of the article.

Let us look into the bible’s take on Polygamy:

1. Original Design

To understand what the ideals are with respect to marriage, we must realize that marriage is an institution created by God. Who better to ask about marriage, than the very person who created it? If God created marriage, He surely has all the answers, and to get the answers we must look into His word.

When we see the portion of scriptures (Genesis 2:21-25) where the marriage institution was created, we see that God’s original plan was one man and one woman. We can also see that God’s original design was for a man to get married to a woman, not for a man to marry a man, or a woman to marry a woman (but let us not delve into this topic for now).

When we see the portion of scriptures (Genesis 2:21-25) where the marriage institution was created, we see that God’s original plan was one man and one woman. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to… Share on X

Many would-be quick to retort: if God’s plan was one man and one woman, why are there so many polygamous marriages in scriptures? It is no news that many of the bible characters in the Old Testament were polygamous. In fact, at this point, worthy of special recognition is King Solomon who had a whooping 700 wives and 300 concubines /side chicks(1 Kings 11:1-3). Does this in any way legitimize polygamy, or prove that God approved of it? The answer to that question would be a big NO.

When we read Genesis 2 and 3, we see that man fell in the Garden of Eden. After the fall, man’s desires became opposed to God’s desires. Man now had proclivities that were contrary to God’s initial design. Man was broken and in dire need of salvation. Hence, the popularity of polygamy in the Old Testament was not God’s endorsement of it, but a reflection of how terrible man became after the fall. To buttress this point, God became a man over two millennia ago, and his stance on marriage remained the same: one man married to one woman (Matthew 19:1-6).

2. Repercussions

God is infinitely wise, and His wisdom is lucidly displayed in the things He created. When we look at how many of the homes of the polygamists turned out in the scriptures, it is easy to see why God created it to be one man married to one woman. Let us take a cue from the Old Testament’s most accomplished polygamist: Solomon.

When we read Solomon’s story, it is clear that his decision to marry that many women became his undoing. A man who God gave special administrative wisdom, fell into the foolishness of idolatry on account of his numerous wives (1 Kings 4:29, 1 Kings 11:1-11). This just implies that when we choose to do things differently from how God designed them to be done, we are left with the negative repercussions of our actions.

When we read Solomon’s story, it is clear that his decision to marry that many women became his undoing. Share on X

God is a good Father, and He wants only the best for His children. We can be sure of reaping the benefits of our obedience when we do things God’s way.

What marriage represents…

Marriage has a deeper meaning than just a man and a woman coming together. In Ephesians 5:21-33, Paul lets us into a mystery about marriage, he makes us understand that the union of marriage is a portrayal of Christ’s relationship with the church: The church being the bride, and Christ being the groom. This symbolism shows God’s commitment to those who have placed faith in Him.

Marriage has a deeper meaning than just a man and a woman coming together. Paul in Ephesians 5:21-33 says that marriage is a portrayal of Christ’s relationship with the church: The church being the bride, and Christ being the groom. Share on X

God’s fidelity is only assured to one bride-the church, and He also expects our fidelity to be directed at Him alone. This is why acts of idolatry were often described as prostitution or adultery across scriptures (Judges 2:17, Ezekiel 16:28-30, Hosea 4:12-13). God is loyal to just one partner (the church) and also requests the same amount of loyalty. When we see how this is a representation of God’s ideal for marriage, we grow in our understanding of why polygamy cannot be God’s original design.

God’s fidelity is only assured to one bride-the church, and He also expects our fidelity to be directed at Him alone. God is loyal to just one partner (the church) and also requests the same amount of loyalty. Share on X

Thank you for reading to this point, let me know what your opinions are in the comments section.